Narrative:

About 6 weeks after getting my IFR training and endorsement in crystal clear VFR WX, I finally had the chance to experience actual IFR conditions on a sunday morning. A warm drizzle was falling so I didn't have to worry about ice, and the clouds were low (about 800 ft) and thick (pretty constant between entry and my cruise at 6000 ft, with no thinning in sight). I decided to go to lyh via direct mol and then V143. Not direct, but it let me fly low enough to stay safely below the freezing level. The flight went fine until I got close to mol. I wanted to start planning my ILS approach into lyh, so I turned on the autoplt and looked down. After about 30 seconds roanoke approach asked me where I thought I was going, and I looked up from my lap to see the aircraft had made a nice standard rate turn 90 degrees to the right, and the plane was still banked. Needless to say, I disconnected the autoplt and got back on course as quickly as I could. I'm happy to report I avoided an unusual attitude, but I was confused enough that luck was probably the most important factor in doing so. After I shot a couple of good approachs and got in my car to return home, I started thinking about what happened. I realized I hadn't really used my autoplt in about 3 months as I wanted to fly by hand in preparation for my 10 day instrument course, and I certainly didn't use it during my IFR training or check ride. After I had finished, I was a certified instrument pilot with an attractive piece of equipment I had never used during training. All of my time under the hood, both in training and on the check ride, were spent hand-flying the plane. When I got in real IFR and needed to think for a second, I was unprepared to actually use the autoplt. I just turned it on and had it track the VOR. I never set the heading bug which the autoplt uses for initial heading even in navigation mode. While hand-flying during IFR training is certainly critical, cfii's should have their students use the autoplt (and any other equipment in the plane) as part of the training. It doesn't have to last long, but newly certified IFR pilots should be comfortable with all of their equipment on the plane, not just the pieces they're allowed to use on check rides. Leaving pilots to play with their equipment under limited visibility on their own is just a bad idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT, IN IMC CONDITIONS HAD TRACK DEV IN ROA CLASS E.

Narrative: ABOUT 6 WKS AFTER GETTING MY IFR TRAINING AND ENDORSEMENT IN CRYSTAL CLR VFR WX, I FINALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE ACTUAL IFR CONDITIONS ON A SUNDAY MORNING. A WARM DRIZZLE WAS FALLING SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ICE, AND THE CLOUDS WERE LOW (ABOUT 800 FT) AND THICK (PRETTY CONSTANT BTWN ENTRY AND MY CRUISE AT 6000 FT, WITH NO THINNING IN SIGHT). I DECIDED TO GO TO LYH VIA DIRECT MOL AND THEN V143. NOT DIRECT, BUT IT LET ME FLY LOW ENOUGH TO STAY SAFELY BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. THE FLT WENT FINE UNTIL I GOT CLOSE TO MOL. I WANTED TO START PLANNING MY ILS APCH INTO LYH, SO I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT AND LOOKED DOWN. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS ROANOKE APCH ASKED ME WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING, AND I LOOKED UP FROM MY LAP TO SEE THE ACFT HAD MADE A NICE STANDARD RATE TURN 90 DEGS TO THE R, AND THE PLANE WAS STILL BANKED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND GOT BACK ON COURSE AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. I'M HAPPY TO RPT I AVOIDED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, BUT I WAS CONFUSED ENOUGH THAT LUCK WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DOING SO. AFTER I SHOT A COUPLE OF GOOD APCHS AND GOT IN MY CAR TO RETURN HOME, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I REALIZED I HADN'T REALLY USED MY AUTOPLT IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS AS I WANTED TO FLY BY HAND IN PREPARATION FOR MY 10 DAY INST COURSE, AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T USE IT DURING MY IFR TRAINING OR CHK RIDE. AFTER I HAD FINISHED, I WAS A CERTIFIED INST PLT WITH AN ATTRACTIVE PIECE OF EQUIP I HAD NEVER USED DURING TRAINING. ALL OF MY TIME UNDER THE HOOD, BOTH IN TRAINING AND ON THE CHK RIDE, WERE SPENT HAND-FLYING THE PLANE. WHEN I GOT IN REAL IFR AND NEEDED TO THINK FOR A SECOND, I WAS UNPREPARED TO ACTUALLY USE THE AUTOPLT. I JUST TURNED IT ON AND HAD IT TRACK THE VOR. I NEVER SET THE HEADING BUG WHICH THE AUTOPLT USES FOR INITIAL HEADING EVEN IN NAV MODE. WHILE HAND-FLYING DURING IFR TRAINING IS CERTAINLY CRITICAL, CFII'S SHOULD HAVE THEIR STUDENTS USE THE AUTOPLT (AND ANY OTHER EQUIP IN THE PLANE) AS PART OF THE TRAINING. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO LAST LONG, BUT NEWLY CERTIFIED IFR PLTS SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH ALL OF THEIR EQUIP ON THE PLANE, NOT JUST THE PIECES THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE ON CHK RIDES. LEAVING PLTS TO PLAY WITH THEIR EQUIP UNDER LIMITED VISIBILITY ON THEIR OWN IS JUST A BAD IDEA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.